Eid al-Fitr is a Muslim holiday celebrated on the first day of the month of Shawwal. The Eid al-Fitr, also known as the Little Festival or Lesser Feast, is the second most important major holiday in the Islamic calendar (after the Eid al-Adha, or Great Feast). It comes after the sighting of the new moon, which marks the end of the month-long Ramadan fast and the start of a feasting and celebration season. Sometimes it is called the “sugar” festival, because of the sweets that are exchanged as gifts on this occasion.
The festival is celebrated with far more zeal than the Great Festival since it marks the end of a month of fasting and devotion. Despite the fact that both feasts last for a day and include special prayer services, Eid al-Fitr is marked by more spontaneous displays of joy and generosity. Muslims put on their best clothes and gather early on the first day of Eid al-Fitr to deliver special Eid prayers in mosques or outdoor prayer grounds such as parks, fields, and playgrounds.
When the prayers are over, everyone embraces, greeting each other with the words Eid Mubarak or “Happy Eid.”. Ramadan is the Islamic lunar calendar month in which Muslims fast from dawn to dusk, abstaining from food, drink, and other sensual pleasures. Eid is a festival of great joy and unending happiness, a time when Muslim families gather to give thanks and put their differences aside. Muslims decorate their homes, buy presents for friends and family, and send out Eid cards in the same way as Christians do for Christmas.
Eid al-Fitr is a common time in some countries to invite non-Muslim friends over for a visit in order to promote greater understanding between ethnic and religious groups. During the Eid al-Fitr, the poor are given a special offering called Zakat al-Fitr, which consists of a measure of grain (or its equivalent) for each member of the household. Any Muslim who can afford to do so is also encouraged to give money to the poor in advance of the holiday so that they can prepare for it. As a result, Ramadan helps to bring out the best in Muslims by teaching us how to discipline our lives, manage the time and get regular with prayers and live with people in peace and harmony.
I wish you all a happy Eid!
Written By: Ifaza Fasy
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